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Pantheism as Atheism

Pantheism as Atheism. Spinoza’s ‘Naturalised Theology’. Introduction to Spinoza.

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Pantheism as Atheism

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  1. Pantheism as Atheism Spinoza’s ‘Naturalised Theology’

  2. Introduction to Spinoza - 17th century Dutch-Jewish philosopher. - Primarily concerned about the nature of God (philosophy of religion; metaphysics, etc.)- Invented a new kind of Natural Theologycontra the assumed medieval theological milieu… Baruch (Benedict de) Spinoza(1632-1677)

  3. Unorthodox Theological Ideas Spinoza’s divine being (God) is… - causa sui - all-conserving - necessarily existence - infinite - constituted of matter - exists as modes (all physical beings) - fatalism in the universe - immanent (but not transcendent) - the Universe (Uncreated Nature)

  4. “The perfection, then, attributed throughout by Spinoza to God is not immensity of power but self-contemplation of being. God and the correlate of God, or Nature [the Universe], ‘is and is known through Himself.’ He is the object of His own knowledge, or rather He is His own knowledge’, and to Him and His knowledge there is no such thing as a ‘possibility’, but everything is actual.”- Roth (1963 p.61) - citing fn. 3, Short Treatise,App. I, prop. 4, pp.155-156.

  5. Kinds of Theisms/Non-Theisms Atheism P: No supernatural deities exist.Monotheism Q: A single supernatural deity exists.Polytheism/Henotheism R: A plurality of deities exist.Deism S: A single supernatural but impersonal deity exists.Pantheism T: God = Nature

  6. “If atheism is the denial that anything is divine, pantheism is not atheism; if atheism is the claim that there is no Creator, Providence, transcendent Deity, or personal God, pantheism is atheistic.”- Yandell in E. Craig (ed.) 1998, http://www.rep.routledge.com/article/K063.

  7. Traditional Judaeo-Christian Theology Biblical Theology claims God to be: - simple (composed of no parts) - transcendent (beyond space-time, matter and energy) - a se (self-existence first of all other things apart from of himself) - creative and interactive - appears in bodily form (Judaism, Christianity) - becomes incarnate in Jesus Christ for our sake (Christianity)

  8. “Pantheism as Atheism” • “If God is conceived as traditionally minded Jews and Christians conceive of him, Spinoza denies his existence, and can legitimately be accused of atheism.”- Donagan in Garrett (ed.) 1995, p.357.

  9. References. Donagan, Alan, “Spinoza’s Theology” in Don Garrett (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Spinoza (Cambridge University Press, 1995), pp.343-382.Rosenthal, Michael A., “Baruch Spinoza” in Chad Mesiter and Paul Copan (eds.), The Routledge Companion to Philosophy of Religion (Routledge 2013, 2nd edition), pp.150-160.Roth, Leon, Spinoza, Descartes and Maimonides (Russell & Russell, 1963).Spinoza, Benedict de, The Ethics (1662) in R. H. M. Elmes (ed.), The Chief Works of Benedict de Spinoza, vol. 2 (London: George Bell and Sons, 1901).Yandell, Keith E., “Pantheism” in E. Craig (ed.), Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy (1998), URL: http://www.rep.routledge.com/article/K063.

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